54 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



extremely delicate. In the evening his men were entertained with 

 a dance, in which the Canadians exhibited some grace and much 

 agility ; and they contrived to infuse some portion of their activity 

 and spirits into the steps of their female companions. The half- 

 breed women are passionately fond of this amusement, but a stranger 

 would imagine the contrary on witnessing their apparent want of 

 animation. On such occasions they affect a sobriety of demeanour 



which I understand to be the very opposite to their general cha- 



ma 



racter. 



January 10. — This day I wrote to Governor Williams and Mr. Con- 

 nolly, requesting them to prepare two canoes, with crews and ap- 

 pointments, for the conveyance of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood with 

 the stores to Chipewyan as soon as the navigation should open, and 



had the satisfaction of receiving from both these gentlemen renewed 

 assurances of their desire to promote the objects of the Expedition. 

 I conceived it to be necessary, previous to my departure, to make 

 some arrangement respecting the men who were engaged at Strom- 

 ness. Only one of them was disposed to extend his engagement, 

 and proceed beyond the Athabasca Lake ; and, as I found there was 



f 



much uncertainty whether the remaining three could get from the 

 Athabasca to York Factory sufficiently early to secure them a passage 

 in the next Hudson's Bay ship, I resolved not to take them forward, 

 unless Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood should fail in procuring other 

 men from these establishments next spring, but to despatch them 

 down to York to bring up our stores to this place : after which they 

 might return to the coast in time to secure their passage in the 

 first ship. 



I delivered to Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood a memorandum, 

 containing the arrangements which had been made with the two 

 Companies, respecting their being forwarded in the spring, and some 

 other points of instruction for their guidance in my absence ; to- 

 gether with directions to forward the map of our route, which had 



